The new measure comes less than a week after a massive safety push to counteract a horror year on Victorian roads, with more than 206 fatalities between January 1 and September 4, according to the latest TAC data.

The state’s road toll was 176 for the same period in 2015.

In the five years to the end of 2015, 22 per cent of drivers killed in Victoria were aged 18-25, despite that age group representing just 13 per cent of Victorian licence holders.

TAC road safety manager Elizabeth Waller said new measures are required to ensure safe driving mindsets are instilled in younger drivers as the TAC continues with its Towards Zero push.

Ms Waller stopped short of saying the importance of safe driving had been lost on younger motorists, but said “different programs” are now required to instill strong messaging for different groups.

The grants program encourages youth to come up with a campaign to reduce the troubling number of young deaths by tackling a theme related to vehicle safety, human vulnerability on the roads or the collective responsibility of motorists to ensure roads remain safe. Successful campaign entries will receive up to $50,000 to develop their idea further with the help of an industry mentor.

“The green man grants are a new way for us to engage with young people on road safety,” Ms Waller said.

“It’s a consistent way to support road safety and Towards Zero. Young people are really receptive with messages from their peers and it’s really important for them to identify how they can make a difference.

“It’s also about speaking up, role modelling and taking the lead.”

“We have a year on year record in terms of the lives lost and it’s started to creep up.

“When you look at something like the Towards Zero approach it’s very much based on the shared interest.”

Ms Waller said the recent high road toll of young drivers was likely due to a lack of experience.

“Vulnerability (is a part of the toll) because of where young people and where they develop mentally,” she said.

“They can get overconfident with their ability to avoid situations.

“What we know about young people and young drivers is they take a long time.”

Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said it was crucial to take immediate action to address the road toll rate in 2016.

“Addressing the unacceptable number of young lives lost on our roads is a major priority for us and we are working with the TAC to find new ways to do that,” he said.

“We want to encourage young people to think outside the square about ways they can get home safely every time they use our roads.”

Last week’s funding boost to enhance road safety, announced by Mr Donnellan and Police Minister Lisa Neville approved 1000 additional police shifts over a four-month period to target high-risk driving behaviors.

The extra shifts will be funded by the TAC through the $12 million enhanced enforcement program.

The state government has committed $156 million to the young driver safety package, with a key goal to reduce the Victorian road toll to below 200 by 2020.

Entries to the green man grants program can be submitted to the www.greenmangrants.com.au website by October 6.

Up to 10 entrants will be selected.